Ranking the Draft Success of All 32 NFL Teams

Ranking the Draft Success of All 32 NFL Teams

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How do you define draft success? That is one of the challenges when trying to determine which teams are the most successful at finding talent.

You could look at the number of starters produced, but that might simply depend on the relative weakness of a position on a particular roster. You could also look at Pro Bowls, but we all know that’s a flawed measuring stick.

The best measuring stick is wins, because that’s the goal for every general manager and the standard by which they are judged. There’s a lot that goes into building a team and winning games, but the most important tool at a team’s disposal is the draft. The only way to have prolonged success in the NFL is by drafting well.

You can judge how well a team drafts simply based on their win percentage over time. The best drafting teams win because they do a better job of finding good players. Those players could be stars, starters or role players, though, because each NFL team needs all of these types in order to be successful.

To make the rankings as fair as possible, I examined the tenure of each NFL general manager, their win total during said tenure (five years maximum) and the win total of each team over the past five years. The rankings were optimized to value success as measured by wins, giving equal weight to the team’s overall win total and their success only under their current leadership.

Why only five years? First-round picks are under their respective team’s control for five years after they are selected, and the average general manager in the NFL has been on the job for 4.6 years. You could argue that five years is too long, but since some draft picks take a few years to develop, it’s only fair to give them ample time.

So, how does your team stack up?

32. Cleveland Browns

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General Manager: Michael Lombardi

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 23

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 4

Trend Factor: Neutral (-2)

Over the last five years, only two teams have fewer wins than the Browns. The Browns also overhauled the front office and coaching staff this offseason. It usually takes a few years to really judge a new regime, but things couldn’t get much worse for the Browns.

It’s too soon to know how the new regime will do, but the previous regime was pretty much a total failure. Out of their last five drafts, Joe Haden and T.J. Ward might be the only impact players. The jury is still out on the last two drafts, to some extent, but it doesn’t appear that Brandon Weeden is the long-term answer at quarterback.

31. Kansas City Chiefs

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General Manager: John Dorsey

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 25

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 6

Trend Factor: Neutral (-2)

The Chiefs are no closer to contending now than they were three years ago, which is an indictment on the drafting of former general manager Scott Pioli. Despite a 2-14 record last season, the Chiefs have a handful of solid players, but in order to be a winning team, you need a quarterback and a lot of other players to contribute.

Five years ago, the Chiefs landed Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers, Jamaal Charles and Brandon Carr in one draft. Since that amazing draft class, the Chiefs have added only a couple of impact players and failed to find a franchise quarterback.

The lowlights of the Chiefs drafts include spending first-round picks on Jonathan Baldwin, Tyson Jackson, Dontari Poe and a second-round pick on Dexter McCluster, all of which have failed to make a significant impact on the team thus far (although Poe and Baldwin still have a chance).

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

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General Manager: David Caldwell

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 27

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 11

Trend Factor: Neutral (+1)

Just for taking a punter in the third round last season, the Jaguars should have been ranked last in these rankings, but they’ve been able to win a couple more games than the Chiefs or Browns over the last five years, so that saves them. The Jaguars currently have one of the most talent-depleted rosters in the NFL, though, thanks to their poor drafting.

The Jaguars best picks in the last five years were Eugene Monroe, Terrance Knighton, Derek Cox and Cecil Shorts. What’s sad is that two of those players will not be on the Jaguars in 2013, and three of them were drafted three years ago.

Trading up to get Blaine Gabbert in 2011 now looks like a bad move, but it was hardly the only mistake the Jaguars made. David Caldwell comes from an organization that has been good at drafting, so things should be looking up for the Jaguars.

29. Detroit Lions

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General Manager: Martin Mayhew

Track Record: 5 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 22

Team Wins Last Five Years: 22

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 12

Trend Factor: Up (+8)

The draft is about much more than what you do in the first round. The Lions have added Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley in Round 1 in recent drafts, but they haven’t done much else in the past five years. Cliff Avril was a good get in the third round in 2008, but there’s a reason the Lions have compiled just 22 wins in Martin Mayhew’s stint as general manager.

Considering all the big names drafted by the Lions in recent years and with a playoff appearance in 2011, their place on this list may come as a bit of a surprise. The ranking method certainly doesn’t account for the fact that Mayhew had two historically bad teams in his first two years as general manager and, within four years, he had them in the playoffs.

The Lions are better than this ranking, but they desperately need to rebound from their four-win 2012 season. At this point, the product of the Lions’ success in 2011 could just be attributed to having three top-two picks in the draft over a three-year span, and it may not be an indication that the organization is actually good at drafting.

28. Carolina Panthers

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General Manager: Dave Gettleman

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 25

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 15

Trend Factor: Down (-7)

The Panthers selected running back Jonathan Stewart and offensive tackle Jeff Otah with their two picks in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft, and they haven’t done much better since that time. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was their top pick in 2010, and he didn’t even turn into a solid starter. Then the team drafted quarterback Cam Newton in 2011, but he hasn’t turned the fortunes of the franchise just yet, despite being a No. 1 overall pick.

Defensive end Greg Hardy and linebacker Luke Kuechly are two of the Panthers’ better picks over the last five years, but they can’t do it all alone. There’s a reason why the Panthers hired a new general manager in 2013 that comes from an organization that has been successful over the past five years.

27. Oakland Raiders

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General Manager: Reggie McKenzie

Track Record: 1 year

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 4

Team Wins Last Five Years: 30

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 16

Trend Factor: Neutral (+2)

Everyone knows that the Raiders have struggled with their first-round picks. If the grading were based only on first-round picks and not wins, the Raiders would be last, and it wouldn’t even be close. Despite their struggles, the Raiders have managed to average six wins over the last five years. People forget that the team managed back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2010 and 2011.

Certainly, the Raiders haven’t been very good drafting over the last 20 years, but they’ve done a decent job in the middle rounds. Reggie McKenzie took over as general manager last season and starting flipping the roster, but didn’t have a pick until No. 95 overall last season, so the jury is still out on him.

26. St. Louis Rams

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Head Coach: Jeff Fisher

Track Record: 1 year

Wins as Head Coach: 7

Team Wins Last Five Years: 19

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 16

Trend Factor: Up (+14)

No team has fewer wins over the last five years than the Rams, and if you look their recent drafts, you can see why. The Rams were unfortunate to have the No. 1 pick in the last draft without a rookie wage scale, and they compounded the problem by taking Sam Bradford, who is an average quarterback at best.

Les Snead and Jeff Fisher were brought in to turn things around in 2012, and they managed to win seven games in a tough division. The Rams also had what seems like a solid rookie class last year with Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Trumain Johnson, Chris Givens and Greg Zuerlin.

25. Buffalo Bills

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General Manager: Buddy Nix

Track Record: 3 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 16

Team Wins Last Five Years: 29

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 17

Trend Factor: Up (+5)

Any time an organization fires their head coach, it’s important to consider the talent on that team. Just because a coach is not successful doesn’t mean that they are doing a bad job. In Buffalo, they fired their head coach at the end of last season, but kept the general manager that was also responsible for the team winning just 16 games over the past three years.

Four out of the last five first-round picks for the Bills have been on defense. The best of those five draft picks, though, was running back C.J. Spiller in 2010, who has been stuck sharing carries with Fred Jackson over the last couple of seasons. The picks of Marcell Dareus, Stephon Gilmore and Cordy Glenn over the past two seasons should give the fans in Buffalo some hope for the future.

24. Arizona Cardinals

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General Manager: Steve Keim

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 37

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 17

Trend Factor: Down (-7)

The Cardinals haven’t drafted an impact player on offense since Larry Fitzgerald, and they have basically ignored the offensive line altogether. On defense, the Cardinals have added a few nice pieces like Greg Toler, Patrick Peterson and Daryl Washington.

Steve Keim was an internal hire to be the new general manager, so it would appear that the organization is blaming the team’s lack of success on his predecessor Rod Graves and former head coach Ken Whisenhunt. The Cardinals wouldn’t be the first organization with good people working below sub-par leadership.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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General Manager: Mark Dominik

Track Record: 4 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 24

Team Wins Last Five Years: 33

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 22

Trend Factor: Up (+4)

The Bucs have done a good job over the last few years at adding impact players in the draft. Running back Doug Martin, linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy are studs, but every good pick is just trying to cover up for the drafting of quarterback Josh Freeman. It's not that Freeman is a bad quarterback, but he’s just far too inconsistent.

With the addition of Vincent Jackson and Martin, the Bucs might be very close to getting over the hump offensively if Freeman can have a big year. If the Bucs can continue drafting well over the next couple years, they could become serious contenders. Both Mark Dominik and Freeman are entering a pivotal year of their respective careers.

22. Washington Redskins

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Head Coach: Mike Shannahan

Track Record: 3 years

Wins as Head Coach: 21

Team Wins Last Five Years: 33

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 23

Trend Factor: Up (+7)

The Redskins didn’t have the No. 2 overall pick in 2012. Rather, they traded for it so they could draft quarterback Robert Griffin III. After making the playoffs in 2012, the Redskins look like geniuses. In the same draft, the Redskins also drafted quarterback Kirk Cousins in case Griffin went down with an injury and added running back Alfred Morris, who rushed for over 1,600 yards as a rookie.

Over the past three years, the Redskins have also added linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Perry Riley, offensive tackle Trent Williams, defensive end Jarvis Jenkins and wide receiver Leonard Hankerson. You wouldn’t think the Redskins would be ranked 22nd based on the moves they have made over the last three years, but that just proves how important it is to find a franchise quarterback.

The Redskins struggled before Mike Shannahan was hired, but his addition—coupled with finding a franchise quarterback—has the entire team on the rise. As long as Griffin stays healthy and Shannahan keeps adding solid players through the draft, the Redskins could very well be moving up this list.

Andy Reid had three losing seasons during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, but the team is taking a chance on Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman running the team going forward.

A big reason for Reid’s firing this offseason was the team’s offseason spending spree on defensive players like Nnamdi Asomugha in the past that didn’t pan out. Those moves were made in order to hide the obvious fact that the Eagles had done a poor job drafting defensive players despite always having a plethora of draft picks.

20. New York Jets

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General Manager: John Idzik

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 43

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 27

Trend Factor: Down (-13)

It’s easy to make fun of Mark Sanchez, but the Jets actually haven’t done a bad job drafting. Sanchez and linebacker Vernon Gholston are notable blunders, but there have been a lot of solid moves as well.

Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and linebacker Quinton Coples appear to be two excellent additions on defense. The Jets also found solid starters like guard Matt Slauson later in the draft, although he is now a Chicago Bear. Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley appears to be developing nicely as well.

Superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris came out of the same draft back in 2007, and they have been nothing but a success (minus the contract issues with the former). The biggest problem seems to be that the Jets haven’t given themselves enough chances in recent years, with fewer than seven picks in five of the last six drafts.

19. Seattle Seahawks

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Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Track Record: 3 years

Wins as Head Coach: 25

Team Wins Last Five Years: 34

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 28

Trend Factor: Up (+8)

There might not be a better drafting team over the past three years than the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Russell Wilson, offensive tackle Russell Okung, safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Richard Sherman, and linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are just the tip of the iceberg.

The defense improved from 25th in points allowed in 2010 to the No. 1 scoring defense in 2012. The offense jumped in 2012 from 23rd in scoring to ninth thanks to Wilson’s amazing rookie year.

If the Seahawks continue to have this much success in the draft over the next two years, they will leap into the conversation with the best drafting teams in the league. Right now, the only thing holding Seattle’s ranking down are the 2008 and 2009 seasons as well as the drafting that was conducted by the previous regime.

18. Cincinnati Bengals

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General Manager: Mike Brown

Track Record: 21 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 37

Team Wins Last Five Years: 37

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 29

Trend Factor: Up (+3)

The Bengals have drafted several impact players on defense over the past few years including defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Michael Johnson. The Bengals also snagged star wide receiver A.J. Green in 2011, who has become one of the best receivers in the entire league.

Defensive end Carlos Dunlap and guards Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler are all good starters as well. Andy Dalton is an adequate quarterback that didn’t cost the Bengals a first-round pick.

Mike Brown has taken his lumps in the past, but the Bengals have remained competitive in a tough division thanks to solid drafting.

17. San Diego Chargers

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General Manager: Tom Telesco

Track Record: 0 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 0

Team Wins Last Five Years: 45

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 29

Trend Factor: Down (-13)

The Chargers haven’t had a losing season since 2003, and that speaks to their drafting ability, but they also haven’t made the playoffs since 2009. The Chargers just haven’t been able to find that one player to push them over the edge while they have continued to lose quality players via free agency.

Despite some notable misses like defensive end Larry English, the Chargers have done a solid job of bringing in starters through the draft. Players like guard Louis Vasquez, linebacker Donald Butler and defensive tackle Corey Liuget have established themselves as solid NFL players. Also, wide receiver Vincent Brown, defensive ends Melvin Ingram Kendall Reyes and cornerbacks Marcus Gilchrist and Shareece Wright are still young and have flashed great potential.

16. Miami Dolphins

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General Manager: Jeff Ireland

Track Record: 5 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 38

Wins Last Five Years: 38

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 31

Trend Factor: Up (+3)

The Dolphins are one of the truly weird teams when it comes to the draft. After jumping from 1-15 to 11-5 five years ago after drafting a left tackle No.1 overall, they haven’t been able to get over the hump. In the past four seasons, the Dolphins have averaged 6.8 wins and the offense seems to be the problem.

Defensively the Dolphins have been very good, but the offense didn’t make the jump you would expect after drafting a rookie quarterback in the first round. The Dolphins lack playmakers especially in the passing game an area the team hasn’t been able to address through the draft.

15. Tennessee Titans

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Head Coach: Ruston Webster

Track Record: 1 year

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 6

Wins Last Five Years: 42

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 31

Trend Factor: Down (-5)

The Titans have done a good job building through the draft, but haven’t been able to solve the quarterback problem despite investing a first-round pick on Jake Locker. Tennessee’s most recent first-round pick Kendall Wright had a very good rookie season, so that’s a step in the right direction.

Derrick Morgan, Jason McCourty, Jurrell Casey and Mike Martin have all been key contributors on defense. The Titans could be a good quarterback away from the playoffs if they continue to draft well, but could just as easily regress without one.

14. Minnesota Vikings

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Head Coach: Rick Spielman

Track Record: 1 year

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 10

Wins Last Five Years: 41

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 38

Trend Factor: Up (+8)

In Rick Spielman’s first year as general manager, he hit on both Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith in the first round and the team improved by seven wins. That’s a resounding success that Spielman will try to replicate going forward, but it doesn’t erase the combined nine wins the team had in 2010 and 2011.

The Vikings have been able to bring in solid players through the draft, but outside of Adrian Peterson, the roster doesn’t have many stars and that’s especially true without Percy Harvin and Antoine Winfield. The Vikings need another good draft to continue to improve.

13. Dallas Cowboys

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General Manager: Jerry Jones

Track Record: 23 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 42

Wins Last Five Years: 42

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 38

Trend Factor: Neutral (0)

Mike Jenkins and Felix Jones were drafted in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft and are no longer in the team’s plans. In 2009, the Cowboys had a lot of picks in the middle rounds, but nothing above the 69th pick. Both drafts didn’t net much to help the Cowboys.

The last three years have been much more successful for Jerry Jones as he has picked players like Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray and Morris Claiborne. Maybe Jones finally settled into the job after 20 years?

12. Denver Broncos

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General Manager: John Elway (not his official title)

Track Record: 2 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 21

Wins Last Five Years: 41

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 41

Trend Factor: Up (+9)

The Broncos have done well in the draft over the past couple years, netting super star Von Miller and solid starters Rahim Moore, Orlando Franklin and Derek Wolfe.

Even selecting Tim Tebow in the first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft is obscured by the additions of Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Zane Beadles. Denver’s two drafts prior to 2010 were much more questionable, with Ryan Clady the only impact player among the 19 players drafted over a two-year period.

11. Houston Texans

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General Manager: Rick Smith

Track Record: 6 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 45

Wins Last Five Years: 45

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 44

Trend Factor: Down (-4)

The Texans have been able to draft impact players on both sides of the ball. J.J. Watt has become a star and Duane Brown continues to be one of the best left tackle in football. There are other stars like Brian Cushing and Kareem Jackson that have helped the Texans have a great defense.

Brooks Reed looks like yet another good pick by the Texans, but at some point they might want to get another weapon for Matt Schaub. The Texans don’t fall behind as the rest of the NFL goes to a pass-heavy attack.

10. Chicago Bears

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General Manager: Phil Emery

Track Record: 1 year

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 10

Wins Last Five Years: 45

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 45

Trend Factor: Neutral (1)

The Bears haven’t been as good as their ranking would indicate, at least not over the past five years. They do however tend to get at least one impact player out of each draft. Matt Forte, Henry Melton and Major Wright are a few examples of impact players the Bears have drafted recently.

Doing really well drafting in the past certainly helps the future. Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs and Tim Jennings were all still contributing at a high level for Chicago, but age will eventually impart their play and the Bears need to have player ready to replace them.

9. New York Giants

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General Manager: Jerry Reese

Track Record: 6 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 48

Wins Last Five Years: 48

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 46

Trend Factor: Down (-4)

The Giants don’t miss on their first-round picks—four out of the last five have become at least good players. David Wilson will probably get a bigger opportunity in 2013, so there’s a chance that all five of them will have become starters by 2013.

Including in New York’s hits are stars Jason Pierre-Paul, William Beatty and Hakeem Nix as well as solid starters like Kenny Phillips and Prince Amukamara. The Giants have drafted a few players like Linval Joseph outside the first round that have developed into solid players.

8. New Orleans Saints

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General Manager: Mickey Loomis

Track Record: 11 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 52

Wins Last Five Years: 52

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 51

Trend Factor: Down (-3)

The Saints have been trying to address their defense for the past five years and have used a first-round pick on four defenders without much improvement. Cameron Jordan and Sedrick Ellis are solid players, but Patrick Robinson needs an impact pass-rusher that the Saints don’t have.

Loomis has been able to find impact offensive players like Jimmy Graham to add to an already potent passing attack. The Saints also seems to have a knack for finding offensive linemen in the middle of the draft.

7. Green Bay Packers

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General Manager: Ted Thompson

Track Record: 8 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 53

Wins Last Five Years: 53

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 55

Trend Factor: Neutral (-1)

The Packers always come away with a couple solid players from each draft and even occasionally find stars outside of the first round. Casey Hayward and Randall Cobb are just a couple of examples of future stars the Packers have drafted in the last couple years.

Ted Thompson isn’t active in free agency because he know he can get solid talent in the draft for a fraction of the cost. Over time teams like the Packers build such a quality base of players that the exodus of one or two is not a big deal.

6. Indianapolis Colts

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General Manager: Ryan Grigson

Track Record: 1 year

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 11

Wins Last Five Years:

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 49

Trend Factor: Up (+3)

It’s better to be lucky than good, but the Colts were both lucky and good last year. New general manager Ryan Grigson drafted five players that saw a significant number of snaps in 2013. All of those players were to help Andrew Luck acclimate to the NFL.

5. San Francisco 49ers

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General Manager: Trent Baalke

Track Record: 2 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 24

Wins Last Five Years: 45

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 55

Trend Factor: Up (+9)

Trent Baalke has done a masterful job building the 49ers. As general manager, Baalke drafted Aldon Smith and Colin Kaepernick in his first year on the job. The year before getting the job, Baalke oversaw the college scouting and drafting of Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati and NaVorro Bowman.

The jury is still out on Baalke’s 2012 draft class that might need some time to develop, but you have to like what he has done to this point.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

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General Manager: Kevin Colbert

Track Record: 12 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 53

Wins Last Five Years: 53

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 56

Trend Factor: Neutral (-2)

The Steelers haven’t had a losing record since 2003 and have missed the playoffs just seven times since 1992. This team knows exactly what they are doing in the draft and until proven otherwise they shouldn’t be doubted.

Pittsburgh’s draft picks haven’t been getting much playing time because of presence of quality veterans, but some of that will change in 2013. When the young players in Pittsburgh have received the opportunity to play, they have generally not disappointed.

3. Baltimore Ravens

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General Manager: Ozzie Newsome

Track Record: 10 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 52

Wins Last Five Years: 52

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 59

Trend Factor: Neutral (-1)

Ozzie Newsome just won a super bowl and it was probably in spite of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and not because of them. Newsome has a long, successful track record drafting college players, but if he doesn’t find a few contributors in the draft this year, people are going to start to wonder if he has lost it.

2. Atlanta Falcons

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General Manager: Thomas Dimitroff

Track Record: 5 years

Wins as General Manager (five years maximum): 56

Wins Last Five Years: 56

Power Rating (2-64 scale): 61

Trend Factor: Up (+9)

It all started for the Falcons back in 2008 when they took Matt Ryan with the third pick in the draft. Sam Baker was taken 21st overall in the 2008 NFL Draft as the Falcons’ second first-round pick and they added Thomas DeCoud later in the same draft.

Williams Moore, Peria Jerry and Sean Weatherspoon were brought in on defense before the Falcons went after Julio Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft. It seemed like a desperation move at the time, but Jones has turned into one the NFL’s elite wide receivers.

The Falcons have won 11.2 games per season since Thomas Dimitroff got the job, hired Mike Smith and drafted Ryan. A Lombardi Trophy has eluded the Falcons, but Dimitroff back to draft to find the guy that can put the Falcons over the top.

1. New England Patriots

Bill Belichick hasn’t won fewer than nine games in a season since Tom Brady became the starting quarterback in 2001. The Patriots haven’t won fewer than 10 games since 2002 and have only missed the playoffs three times since 2000. In other words: trust the Patriots to get the job done during the draft.

In the 2010 NFL Draft, the Patriots added Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Spikes and Aaron Hernandez and set off the tight end trend. Nate Solder, Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley were drafted in 2011 to both protect Brady and give him more weapons.

In 2012, Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower and Tavon Wilson were drafted to rebuild the defense and were all solid players that could be even better next season. The Patriots don’t spend big in free agency because they always have young players at each position or can identify and acquire talent for a bargain price.

The Patriots have a system and know how to work the draft board. Belichick knows exactly what traits are needed in each player to be successful within the Patriots scheme and simply chooses the best ones, which has been very successful.